Throughout the course of their rapid rise from non-league, Wrexham had longed for an opportunity to have a crack at a big gun.
Just shy of five years on from being taken over by Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, Phil Parkinson will finally get his wish on Friday night.
The Red Dragons host Nottingham Forest (19:30 GMT) in the third round of the FA Cup – the first time in Parkinson’s glorious reign that the club will face Premier League opposition.
And while some may argue promotion into the top-flight itself would be the pivotal final piece of the jigsaw, the cup contest certainly represents one massive tick as far as the checklist goes.
“It’s one of those ties that everybody’s looking forward to,” said Parkinson.
“We’ve been waiting for a Premier League team here at the Stok Cae Ras and we’ve got a really good team coming here tomorrow night in Nottingham Forest.
“They’ve got a great manager in Dychey [Sean Dyche] and it’ll be a terrific atmosphere. We’re looking forward to a break from the league and enjoying a night of cup football.”
Wrexham head into the cup contest having won four successive league matches in the second tier for the first time in their history.
Such has been their improvement in the Championship, since losing 3-1 to Queens Park Rangers on 13 September, only leaders Coventry City and Ipswich Town have gained more points than Wrexham’s total of 36 points from their past 21 games.
“I think we’ve evolved into the division, a little bit like in League One last year,” said Parkinson.
“It always takes a while with new players and existing players to find their way in the league.
“But I feel we’re in a good place at the moment and I think the Derby game epitomised how we’ve been playing and we’re obviously enjoying the challenge of the division.”
Sunday’s 2-1 win at Derby County moved the Red Dragons to within a point of the play-off places, so it’s fair to say the mood is a positive one in north Wales at present.
After a memorable 2024-25 campaign for Forest, this season has been far more of a struggle, and there are certainly vulnerabilities for Wrexham to exploit.
Only Crystal Palace (-11.68) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (-4.62) are underperforming on their expected goals (xG) by more than Forest (-4.06) are, which shows they are struggling to put away the chances they are making.
At 8.08%, Forest have the second-worst shot conversion rate in the top-flight, while only Wolves (15) have scored fewer Premier League goals than Forest (21) this season.
They have also conceded 12 goals after 76 minutes in the top flight, more than any other side, and Forest have failed to score in 10 of their 21 Premier League games this term, with no side having a worse record.
The positive for Dyche’s men at least is that they ended their four-game losing run by beating West Ham United 2-1 on Tuesday.
It was the first time Forest have come from behind to win in the Premier League since being promoted in 2022.
Crucially, it moved them seven points clear of the relegation zone to ease the nerves ahead of their break from league action.
Wrexham boast a rich heritage in the FA Cup, with their 2-1 triumph over Arsenal in 1992 still being one of the greatest shocks in the competition’s history.
They reached the quarter-finals in 1973-74, 1977-78 and 1996-97 and have beaten top-flight opponents including Ipswich Town, Newcastle United, West Ham United and Middlesbrough over the years.
The scale of the task that lies ahead against two-time winners Forest will not be lost on Parkinson and his squad whatsoever, particularly as the club are entering the FA Cup at the third-round stage for the first time in 43 years.
But while the Premier League target remains in sight, the world’s oldest national football competition is undoubtedly embedded in the culture of Wrexham.
“This morning we had a meeting with the lads and went through what we expect Nottingham Forest to do football-wise,” Parkinson said.
“But we also spoke about the club’s history in the FA Cup and showed them some of the footage of the Arsenal win, the Newcastle win, the West Ham win and obviously rolled into the game at Coventry and what it meant to everybody to continue the tradition.
“We touched on the Sheffield United game here as well and showed the footage of Ryan [Reynolds] coming into the dressing room and the emotion in the way he spoke to the lads because the atmosphere in the ground that night was something special.
“So it’s important that everybody understands we’ve got a long tradition of FA Cup memories here at the club.”
Midfielder George Dobson is aiming to play a key role as Wrexham’s class of 2025-26 bid to add their names to the FA Cup history books.
And the self-confessed “football fanatic” says he has been engrossed in learning about the club’s success in the competition over the years.
“I was looking back through the history of the club in the FA Cup today, which was a real good insight into some fantastic moments down the years,” he said.
“To be able to have that opportunity tomorrow against a good Premier League club, to try and stamp our own sort of history, is going to be one that the whole group is really looking forward to.”
